Mercenaries 2: World In Flames £2.95 @ Shopto [PC Games]

It’s true that Mercenaries 2 was absolutely slated upon its release. Practically every reviewer tore into Pandemic Studio’s open-world shooter with a whole catalogue of grievances and attacked everything from its absurd story to its dreadful team and enemy AI. Mercs 2 even got itself nominated for Gamespot’s Dubious Honours Award: Worst Game Everyone Played. But although there’s probably some truth in these criticisms, Mercenaries 2 is still a really fun game; hence the fact it sold well despite all the bad press.

The open-world format of Mercs 2 might have its problems, but the sheer abundance of weapons, vehicles and catastrophic air strikes you can play around with are certain to bring a smile to your face. I mean there’s nothing like flattening a shanty towns with a tank or raining nukes (yes, nukes!) down on bustling urban centres or quiet suburbs to really satisfy your inner yearning for destruction. So, although Mercs 2 lacks the refinement of games like GTA, you really can’t complain when it’s going for just £2.95, especially when the next best price comes in at £7.99 from Gameplay.

The array of different weapons in Mercs 2 is impressive. And unlike most games – such as GTA – where you have to wait patiently to get your hands on some decent firepower, Mercs 2 just spoils you from the start. M16s and grenade launchers are literally rained down on you in about the first five minutes from support choppers. Thirty seconds later, you’re tearing into the city in your very own tank, and calling in air strikes to deal with up coming checkpoints and barriers.

The graphics are also great – especially when it comes to explosions – and the entire world is fully destructible (take that GTA!). The worst problem with Mercs 2 however is the sheer amount of bugs which is a real shame as it does undermine the gameplay quite badly. But overall, this is ideal for a bit of light, unpretentious entertainment - just make sure you take it with a fairly hefty pinch of salt.